Centre halts India-Bangladesh border fencing work in Mizoram section

Aizawl (zoramobserver.com): The Union Home Ministry has asked contractors to immediately stop the ongoing border fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border in western part of Mizoram.

The home ministry also said works should not continue along the unfenced border section, sources said, without explaining the reason.

The fencing work along the Indo-Bangladesh border was started in 2005, but its completion schedule has been extended several times due to several reasons.

Prior to the latest order, the central government has asked workers to complete fencing work by March 31, 2019.

The fencing of Indo-Bangladesh border is being carried out by the Engineering Projects India Limited (EPIL) and National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC). Of the 233 km long border, 83 km is under the supervision of EPIL, while 150 km is being monitored by the NPCC.

90% completed

Officials of EPIL said that 90 per cent of the work has been completed and the already fenced border section was handed over to Border Security Force. NPCC has also completed 50 per cent of the fencing work, sources added.

Officials of EPIL and NPCC said that the Border Management’s order to discontinue fencing was recommended by Madhukar Gupta Committee which carried out spot inspection of the Indo-Bangladesh border in February this year. They said that the central government issued an order directing all contractors to put on hold the fencing work as recommended by the committee based on their findings.

All border flood lighting will also stop along the border areas. However, construction of border outpost along the Indo-Bangladesh border will continue till completion, sources said.

Co-Editor, Zoramobserver.com. Mr. Khojol is a journalist based in Aizawl, Mizoram. He writes for various national and regional media houses. In his free time, he can be caught reading books and watching movies.